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One in ten Russians skimps on medicines, says poll

According to the survey, 5% lack the money even to buy the necessary drugs

© Kirill Kukhmar/TASS

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MOSCOW, September 24. / TASS /. Every tenth respondent admitted that he or she was tightening their purse strings on medication and sought out the cheapest drugs when going to the pharmacy, while 5% of those polled thoroughly lacked the money needed to buy essential medicines according to a survey conducted by the Zdorovye.Mail.ru site and the pharmacy chain Vse Apteki released on Tuesday. One in ten respondents said that it takes up to half of their monthly income to purchase medicine. "Five percent reported that they didn’t have the money for the necessary medicines, 75% said that they rarely buy medicines at all. Moreover, every tenth participant in the survey could not afford vitamins even during the cold season. Just as many were only able to buy vitamins for their children. At the same time, only 15% of respondents regularly take vitamin supplements. The rest either don’t buy them at all, or buy them only during the cold season or as prescribed by doctors," the statement reads.

According to the Vse Apteki service, on average, one person spends 2,200 rubles ($34) a month on medicines. A tenth of buyers search out the cheapest drugs, and when choosing, they are most often guided by the price. About 50% of the study’s participants make their choice based on reviews obtained over the Internet.

"Online recommendations are more trusted than the advice of pharmacists at a drug store (28%) or friends (13%). At the same time, only 1% of users trust direct advertising for medications," the study said.

When choosing medicines for children, 24% of respondents said they were guided by reviews. The survey took place from August 29 to September 5 among 4,566 respondents.

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